


Home With You

by hobbit_hedgehog



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-16 04:29:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21265073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hobbit_hedgehog/pseuds/hobbit_hedgehog
Summary: When a dragon terrorizes his village, local farmer Ushijima Wakatoshi volunteers to slay it. He didn't expect the dragon to be so, well, human.For tumblr user kemoiunder as a part of the 2019 Fantasy Haikyuu Exchange!





	Home With You

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Hello! It's been a while! This is a gift for kemoiunder as a part of the 2019 Fantasy Haikyuu Exchange! This is a bit different from my usual work, especially since I don't usually write for the Shiratorizawa boys, but it was a fun challenge, and I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has read/commented/kudosed my stuff recently! I apologize for not really responding to comments, grad school's been a lot recently. But I really do appreciate all of the feedback and love, and I hope you all are doing great!

It was an easy enough task to accomplish, Ushijima Wakatoshi reasoned as he buckled the sword borrowed from the village armory around his waist. No, that wasn't right. It was an easy enough task to undertake. Accomplishing it would be slightly more difficult. There was a dragon, and it had to go.

It all started a year ago. A few farms about fifteen miles west side of the village reported smoke coming from the distant mountain. Within days, the first cow went missing. Taken from the pasture in broad daylight by something large and red, with wings like a bat. The distraught farmer had traveled to the village within a day, ranting about demons in the sky, but the villagers had brushed it off as the ravings of a man who had spent too much time in the sun. Things remained quiet for another month, during which the cow was replaced and life returned to normal. Then another cow disappeared, this time from a farm ten miles south from the village. This pattern continued for the remainder of the year – each month, a cow would vanish from a farm, and each farm was progressively closer to the village. Most of the villagers had taken to watching the horizon, waiting for the telltale rush of wind beneath veiny wings and the haunting cry of cattle being lifted to their fiery demise. A general feeling of dread and paranoia had settled over the village, leading to a decline in moral and productivity on the surrounding farms. After much deliberation, the village leaders all agreed: Something had to be done. The leaders of the village had put out a call to arms for any villager brave enough to face the dragon in the west. Wakatoshi initially had ignored the call; he was a farmer to his very core, he wasn't one for fighting. He would have happily let someone else go off to face the dragon if it hadn't been for one Goshiki Tsutomu.

Wakatoshi had brought on Goshiki Tsutomu as a farmhand the year before. The boy was a few years younger than Wakatoshi, a quick study and more than eager to assist on the more difficult tasks around the farm. He was more of a talker than Wakatoshi would have liked, and he had the tendency to seek validation for the smallest of things, but Wakatoshi enjoyed Goshiki's company nonetheless. Which was why when Tsutomu's mother appeared on Wakatoshi's doorstep with tears in her eyes, Wakatoshi had known immediately that he was about to partake in something dangerous.

"Ushijima… my son, Tsumotu, he… he volunteered to go slay the dragon," the woman had sobbed, her brown eyes so much like her son's red from hours of crying.

Without a word, Wakatoshi had rushed to the village. Upon arriving at the village's castle, he'd pushed his way into the council chamber, ignoring the guards' demands for him to stop. Wakatoshi only stopped once he reached the center of the leaders' chamber, placing a hand on the trembling shoulder of Goshiki Tsutomu.

"I will take Goshiki's place," Wakatoshi had announced to the village leaders. "I will take care of the dragon."

The Elders had muttered amongst themselves before a smaller man with white hair got to his feet. Elder Washijou was the oldest of the village leaders, and had known Wakatoshi since he was a child. Of all the villagers, Wakatoshi was his favorite, not that he would ever say it out loud. He had eyed Wakatoshi, then sighed heavily.

"This is no small task, Ushijima," Elder Washijou said. "Are you sure you want to undertake this task?"

"I am," Wakatoshi replied. "Goshiki is too young to go."

"I agree with you on that point," Washijou murmured, ignoring the undignified squawk from Goshiki. He rubbed his chin, lost in thought for a moment before he continued, "Do you have a sword? Armor?"

"Neither."

"You can take some from the armory," Washijou said. "We expect you to return it upon successful completion of your mission."

And so Wakatoshi set about preparing for his task. The mission was simple enough. Venture to the mountain to the west, slay the dragon, and return to the village with its head as proof. Simple. The armor would take some getting used to; Wakatoshi had never had to wear it before, and the unfamiliar weight left him feeling uneasy despite his naturally broad stature. The sword was even more unfamiliar, and as he strapped it about his weight, Wakatoshi found himself hopping he wouldn't have to use it. He was a farmer, not a fighter. But he had intervened on Goshiki's behalf, he had to follow through on this. Wakatoshi packed enough food to last the week long trek to the mountain, strapped the heavier parts of the armor to his pack, then left the village on his horse without so much as a backwards glance. 

By horseback, the trip had taken less time than Wakatoshi had estimated, but the five days' ride had given him plenty of time to think. By himself, Wakatoshi didn't stand a chance against the dragon. If the dragon was easily carrying away cattle, what could one man do against it? The armor would provide him with some defense, but the reality was an army would have been better than a solo man. Maybe he had been a little too rash in his decision to volunteer. But if he hadn't, Goshiki would have been the one to go, and Wakatoshi would be able to handle himself for longer than Goshiki would have been able to. He would just need to come up with a solid plan before he reached the mountain.

The plan never quite came to Wakatoshi by the time he reached the mountain. Everything he envisioned ended in dragon fire, or a long fall with a sudden stop off of the side of the mountain. Still, he had made it, and it was time to act. Wakatoshi dismounted his horse, strapped the remaining armor to his body, and set his horse back on track to the village. He watched it go for a while, then turned back to the mountain with a determined nod. He had a dragon to find.

It took Wakatoshi several hours to find the path to the dragon's cave, and another day to follow it to the cave. He knew that he had found the correct trail once the cow skeletons started appearing in abundance. Half a mile from the cave, he slowed to a crawl, trying once again to formulate a plan and once again failing to come up with something more productive than 'Catch it off guard and hope you can kill it in one clean stroke'. It wasn't much of a plan, but it really was all he had.

There was a clearing at the top of the path, just before the cave. Cow skeletons littered the charred ground, and for the first time, Wakatoshi felt dread well up in his chest. He had been worried about his chance before, but for the first time he felt an acute sense of fear.

"Did they really send someone to find me?" came a deep voice from the dark cave, jerking Wakatoshi from his thoughts. So much for the element of surprise.

"Show yourself, lizard," Wakatoshi called, unsheathing the sword. He could feel the temperature rise as he crossed the clearing, swallowing his fear with each step,

"Lizard, huh?" the voice rumbled, amusement obvious. The ground rumbled beneath Wakatoshi's feet as something large, far larger than anything Wakatoshi had ever experienced dragged itself to the front of the cave until at last, it came into view. "I supposed I've been called worse."

The dragon towered above Wakatoshi, all sharp spines and glinting burgundy scales. Bored, crimson eyes flashed dangerously as the dragon tilted its head to the left, then to the right, taking in Wakatoshi. After a moment, it reached one taloned hand towards Wakatoshi. Wakatoshi took a step backwards, his foot crushing a loose bone as he retreated from the dragon.

"Get back," he commanded, his voice surprisingly level.

The dragon snorted, a stream of fire bursting forth from its nostrils. "There's no need for that," the dragon said. "I just wanted to take a closer look at my would be killer."

Wakatoshi tightened his grip on his sword and the dragon chuckled.

"Do you have a name, Sir Knight? I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

Wakatoshi eyed the dragon; dragons weren't supposed to be this cordial, were they? "My name is Ushijima Wakatoshi."

"Ushijima Wakatoshi," the dragon repeated. "Well, Wakatoshi-kun, you may call me Satori. Now tell me, why are you here?"

"I'm here to make sure you never bother my village again," Wakatoshi replied, his unease returning in full force.

"Is that so?" the dragon asked. "Tell me, why are you here to kill me?"

"Yes."

The dragon—Satori—tilted his head. "Why?"

"My village sent me to."

"Because I took a few cattle? All things need to eat, Wakatoshi-kun, and I only take my fill once a month."

Wakatoshi frowned, weighing his options. It was true that the dragon—Satori—had only taken livestock for food. None of the villagers had been harmed directly. But if he left the dragon alive, would he eventually start taking humans? Wakatoshi doubted humans had more nutritional value for a dragon than a cow or a sheep, but could he really be confident enough in that line of thought to risk letting the dragon live?

"You sure are taking your time deciding if you want to kill me, Wakatoshi-kun," the dragon purred. "Planning on letting me live?"

Wakatoshi glared at the dragon—Satori. He didn't like that the dragon seemed to know what he was thinking. That he could get into Wakatoshi's head like that. Could dragons read minds? Maybe they could, maybe they couldn't, Wakatoshi didn't know. What he did know was that this dragon—Satori—seemed to be willing to negotiate.

"Promise me you won't steal from the village again," Wakatoshi said.

Satori tilted his head again. If it could have raised a brow, Wakatoshi was sure he would have.

"What's in it for me if I do?" he asked.

"I won't kill you."

Satori let out a snort, this time hot smoke erupted from his nostrils and swirled around Wakatoshi before dissipating into the evening light.

"You drive a hard bargain, Wakatoshi-kun," the dragon sneered, "but you and I both know that you don't know how to use that sword. Well, I don't know, but I'm sure my guess is correct."

With a scowl, Wakatoshi shoved the sword into the ground. He knew Washijou would be displeased if he found out, but in the moment, Wakatoshi didn't care. He couldn't kill, but he could negotiate.

"What would it take for you to never bother my village again?" Wakatoshi asked.

Satori hummed, another low rumble, but softer than the previous ones had been. He slowly extended his head towards Wakatoshi until they were face to eye. Wakatoshi stood his ground as the blank crimson eye examined his face.

"Tell you what, Wakatoshi-kun," Satori purred, "if you keep me company for a whole week without trying to kill me, I will never bother your village again."

Wakatoshi glared at the dragon. It wouldn't be ideal to spend any longer away from his farm than he had to, but if it meant that Satori would never bother the village again….

"Deal."

Wakatoshi had never seen a dragon grin before, but the way Satori's mouth stretched to reveal a row of fangs the size and sharpness of swords, he never wanted to again.

***

The following week was nothing that Wakatoshi could have anticipated. After agreeing to Satori's terms, the dragon had led Wakatoshi deep into the heart of the mountain, leading him through the intricate cave system to an underground oasis, the remains of an ancient underground temple, Satori explained. Wakatoshi hadn't bothered to ask Satori to clarify, having been too entranced by the pools of water that glowed under the lights of the strange mushrooms on the walls. Inside the pools were nearly translucent fish with unseeing eyes.

"They're edible," Satori had told him the first night of his stay.

"Why don't you eat those instead?" Wakatoshi had asked.

"As if something so small could sustain me," Satori had scoffed in reply.

The first day was spent outside of the temple, listening to Satori talk about his life. Satori had been born to a large flock of dragons 500 years previous. About 100 years ago, he had split from his flock and had been traveling from mountain range to mountain range before settling into his current cave system a year previously. He was a rare breed of dragon, one that could shapeshift, but only once in a lifetime. He had never tried it, not wanting to become stuck in a form he would later regret. Wakatoshi told Satori about his own life. How his family was one of the wealthier farming families in the village, how he was an only child now left in charge as his parents were too old to work. His stories weren't as fanciful as Satori's, but Satori seemed endlessly amused by the fact that Wakatoshi was left-handed.

The following two days, Wakatoshi explored the derelict temple. Only a handful of walls remained standing, exposing the remaining structure to the cave around it. Satori elected to stay outside the temple, but kept a running commentary on things as Wakatoshi explored what remained. Wakatoshi learned that it was from a time when dragons were revered as gods, a bygone age that Satori wished he could have seen. Wakatoshi wasn't entirely sure if Satori was telling him the truth, but he enjoyed the dragon's stories nonetheless. And when he lost his footing on a particularly weathered staircase, he was pleasantly surprised to find a clawed hand was waiting to catch him.

"Watch yourself, Wakatoshi-kun," Satori had chuckled as he placed Wakatoshi on more solid ground. "If you were to die here, I don't think your replacement would be as much fun as you are."

On the fourth day, Satori led Wakatoshi back through the cave system. He showed him all of the significant identifiers so that Wakatoshi could find his way back to the temple, then left him to find his own way back. It took Wakatoshi the better part of the day to make it back to the oasis, but he could have sworn Satori looked proud to see him emerge through the curtain of moss that separated the cave system from the oasis. It was a nice feeling, if Wakatoshi were being honest.

The remainder of the week followed in much the same way, and before Wakatoshi knew it, the week was over. It crept up on Wakatoshi, as he had no way of tracking the rising and setting of the sun in the cave. But Satori knew, and true to his word, on the seventh day he brought Wakatoshi back to the clearing in front of the cave. Night had fallen by the time they reached the surface. The sword stood in the middle of the clearing, right where Wakatoshi had left it. He crossed to the sword and pulled it from the ground, sheathing it. He was stalling, he knew it, he just couldn't figure out why.

"Well, a promise is a promise," Satori said. "You stayed with me for a week, and you didn't try to kill me. After I take you back, I'll never bother your village again."

Wakatoshi frowned, "What if you…"

"Stayed with you?" Satori finished.

Wakatoshi turned towards the dragon, not daring to let his enthusiasm for the idea show on his face. "You could shapeshift into a human."

Satori shook his head. "Your village would never accept me, even as a human," he said. "I'm a cattle-eating monster."

"I could stay here," Wakatoshi offered, his voice lacking conviction.

Again, Satori shook his head. Instead, he extended a hand towards Wakatoshi. Wakatoshi stepped onto the offered hand, letting the dragon place him gently on his back. Satori waited until Wakatoshi had a solid grip on one of his spinal ridges before launching into the air. Wind whipped around Wakatoshi as he gripped the spine harder, his eyes widening as the ground vanished beneath them. Satori shot above the mountain, twirling lazily before straightening out and beginning the trek eastward. It was a cloudless night, the moon bathing the countryside below in a soft silver light as it rushed beneath them. The light bounced off of Satori's scales and Wakatoshi's breath caught in his throat at the beauty of it all.

The flight back to the village only lasted an hour, but Wakatoshi counted it among both the best and hours of his life. One that he committed to memory from the door to his farmhouse as he watched the dragon disappear into the nighttime.

***

The village elders hadn't been pleased at the lack of a tangible dragon head, but Washijou had gotten them off Wakatoshi's back after a month passed with no dragon sightings. Wakatoshi returned to his farm, and all of the mundane tasks that came with it. Goshiki returned to the farm as well, along with a handful of other boys from the village who were awed by Wakatoshi and his escapades. Wakatoshi hadn't shared his story with the village, but after a fortnight-long absence, the village had come up with their own stories. It was fine by Wakatoshi, they could have their stories. As long as what actually happened stayed with him and him alone.

Still, Wakatoshi found himself longing for the cave in the mountain as a month became two, then four, then twelve. Or rather, he found himself missing the flash of red scales out of the corner of his eye. The low rumble of laughter that filled his ribcage. The crimson gaze that only seemed to light up around him. The thought of what could have been.

***

Wakatoshi had always been a light sleeper, being a farmer required that much. So when someone came knocking on his door in the middle of the night, Wakatoshi was quick to rise and answer it. Wakatoshi lit a few lanterns, ignoring the incessant knocking on his door in favor of being able to see when he did answer it. Once the room was bathed in soft candlelight, Wakatoshi answered the door.

Standing below the porch was a tall man draped in loose, dark clothing. His dark red hair stood on end, and his lazy, crimson eyes lit up as he took in Wakatoshi. Wakatoshi felt his heart leap to his throat as he took in the man's appearance.

"Hello, Wakatoshi-kun," Satori said. " I hope the offer to stay with you is still available."

Without a word, Wakatoshi grabbed Satori by the arms. He pulled him into a crushing embrace, burying his face in the dark red hair. Even as a human, Satori smelled like fire.

"Welcome home," Wakatoshi murmured.

Satori's arms circled Wakatoshi's shoulders, squeezing him tight, and for the first time in a year, Wakatoshi felt complete.


End file.
